Seven Seahorse crew members were rescued off Lebanon after jumping into the sea when the timber carrier developed a severe list. Emergency pumping helped stabilise the ship, but rescue officials said it remained inclined on 26 October 2026.
Civil Defence and Lebanese navy personnel worked together to remove the floodwater, according to Samir Yazbek, head of the Civil Defence Maritime Rescue Unit. Speaking to This Is Lebanon, he said water that had stood approximately 3.5–4 metres deep was reduced to about 60 centimetres.
By then, Seahorse was off Beirut, where responders continued their work. Yazbek described the rescued personnel as being in good health. He said the ship remained under observation and that discharging its timber might help it regain balance.
Local media, citing a Civil Defence statement, reported that nine people had stayed aboard after seven entered the water. The master was among those who stayed, according to The Maritime Executive.
The voyage began in Turkey, with timber destined for Sidon. Seahorse started to list near the Lebanese port on 25 October. The Maritime Executive identified No. 5 cargo hold as the main location of flooding. It also reported that the master had initially declined help before subsequently asking for assistance.
Early reports associated the loss of balance with timber shifting aboard the ship. Rescue officials later described extensive water accumulation. The available accounts did not establish the precise route or cause of the flooding.
According to The Maritime Executive, Seahorse dates from 1997 and has a deadweight of 9,483 tonnes. It measures 100 metres long, with management based in Lebanon.
